Speaking: 1.2 Read aloud

Task

Skills assessed

Reading and speaking

Prompt length

Text up to 60 words

Time to answer

Varies by item, depending on the length of text.

For this item type you need to read a written text aloud.

The recording status box displays a countdown until the microphone opens. You have 30-40 seconds to prepare, depending on the length of the passage. You hear a short tone. After the tone, start speaking immediately. Do not start speaking before the microphone opens because your voice will not be recorded.

You should speak clearly. There is no need to rush.

Finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. The word “Recording” changes to “Completed”.

You are only able to record your response once.

TIP: If you remain silent for longer than 3 seconds, the recording will stop.

Test tips

Use punctuation to help you decide where to pause when you read

You have 30-40 seconds to look at the text before the microphone opens, so use this time to break the text up into meaningful chunks, using the punctuation as a guide. This will show you the places where you can make a tiny pause and alter your intonation – going up when you begin reading a chunk and falling a little when you end a chunk.

Using appropriate pausing helps you to read more fluently and give the full meaning of the text. This will improve your score. Look at where the pauses / are indicated in the example:

Photography’s gaze widened during the early years of the twentieth century / and, / as the snapshot camera became increasingly popular, / the making of photographs became increasingly available / to a wide cross-section of the public. / The British people grew accustomed to, / and were hungry for, / the photographic image.

Stress the words that carry important information

When you read the text, stress the words that help to convey meaning, by reading them in a slightly louder voice and adding emphasis to key syllables, e.g., development. Also use rising and falling intonation patterns to show how the ideas are linked or are coming to an end. Look at the patterns in this text; the stressed words are underlined, and the rising and falling intonation is marked by up and down arrows:

The development of easy-to-use statistical software has changed the way statistics is being taught and learned. Students can make transformations of variables, create graphs of distributions of variables, and select among statistical analysesall at the click of a button . However, even with these advancements , students sometimes find statistics to be an arduous task.

How this question is scored

Your score on Read Aloud is based on three factors:

Content: Does your response include all the words in the reading text and only these words?

Content is scored by counting the number of correct words in your response. Replacements insertions and omissions of words will negatively affect your score.

Oral fluency is scored by determining if your rhythm, phrasing and stress are smooth. The best responses are spoken at a constant and natural rate of speech with appropriate phrasing. Hesitations, repetitions and false starts will negatively affect your score.

Pronunciation: Does your response demonstrate your ability to produce speech sounds in a similar way to most regular speakers of the language?

Pronunciation is scored by determining if your speech is easily understandable to most regular speakers of the language. The best responses contain vowels and consonants pronounced in a native-like way, and stress words and phrases correctly. Responses should also be immediately understandable to a regular speaker of the language.

PTE Academic recognizes regional and national varieties of English pronunciation to the degree that they are understandable to most regular speakers of the language.

Note

This item type affects the scoring of the following: reading, speaking, oral fluency and pronunciation.

Want to prepare online?

Testimonials

PTE Academic made it easy for me to achieve my dream of registering as a nurse. The format of the test, though challenging, is very achievable if one does a lot of practice. I will encourage anyone to take PTE Academic. I also think that the tasks are straightforward and easy to understand.

Faith

Australia November 2018

I'm going to take my postgraduate studies in Australia and I'm very happy because PTE Academic is recognized by all Australian universities. The scored practice test in the Pearson website was extremely helpful during my review. During the day of my exam, the examiners were very professional and strict with the rules. I received my test results after 24 hours. PTE Academic exam is indeed the "fast and fair English test."

Raymond Angelo

Philippines September 2018

Since the exam is done on a computer, the test taker has the ability to use his skills effectively.

Damith

Australia November 2018

Good 👍 Number one

Rajesh Kumar

Australia October 2018

I would recommend PTE Academic as it is more convenient in choosing an exam date and getting the results is also easy.

Govinda

Nepal September 2018

The thing that I liked the most about this test was the kindness of the people in the venue. Very friendly staff who helped me to feel more relaxed. I didn't feel the stress of being in a test and that for me that was crucial.

Lina

Australia September 2018

Fast booking and very quick release of results! Very highly recommended than any other English test :)

Eillen

New Zealand August 2018

Preparation and dedication to get the desired result is the key factor in getting the score you want.

Nila

Australia August 2018

PTE Academic is a good test of English. The preparation improved my English language.

George

China July 2018

What I love about the test is the speed of reporting scores and the objective scoring approach.

Ngoc

Vietnam July 2018

PTE is more practical and less stressful than many other English language tests. It helped me confirm my scholarship and gained admission to my dream University. Without PTE, I would have forfeit these life opportunities. It is really an updated test.

Iya

Nigeria July 2018

PTE Academic accurately reflects an individual's ability to communicate in standard English. I would prefer this exam to other available tests as it removes the elements of human bias in scoring. Unlike other English proficiency exams, PTE Academic is less time-consuming when it comes to exam preparation and score card report fulfillment.

Selva Mariappan

New Zealand July 2018

I love the fact that there is not a person behind the score marking. It eliminates any chance of a biased score.

Pietro

Australia July 2018

The Pearson Test of English Academic is a great exam for English proficiency! The test purely consists of all the necessary basic components of the English language and you are tested in-depth. What’s more, you get your results within a few days of taking the exam!

Maxximillian Ray

Philippines July 2018

The best thing about PTE Academic is giving the test on computers. Its format is fairly easy to understand and lots of materials are available online to help you.

Jagrut Gajraj

India July 2018

PTE Academic is really a fair test of English language skills and people can rely on it.

Prudencia

India July 2018

Pearson is the most objective and most efficient way to test my English language skills. The exam is fair and accurate, plus I got my results in 24 hours! 100% would recommend.

Jan Michelle

Philippines July 2018

I have known Pearson for a couple of years already and I'll say that my experience taking PTE Academic was a great one. The Offline Test had shown enough information for me to understand what was needed and the test is pretty fair. Thanks for the professionalism, Pearson!

Wellington

Brazil July 2018

PTE Academic test format makes it possible to improve scores in all the sections with practice. There is a positive correlation between hours spent on practice material and the score. I found the option to take scored practice tests highly valuable.

Teena Sehgal

Singapore July 2018

Sailed through the assessment experience without a glitch. Every step right from online test enrollment to on-spot registration at the test center is easy and fast. Test center logistics and arrangements are pretty convenient too and the best part is the rapid availability of test score. The preparation materials available on the official website are very effective too.

Rajeswari

Singapore July 2018

PTE Academic reoriented me to write correct English every day. I loved the test and even more after achieving my desired score.

Shallu

Australia July 2018

The study material was user-friendly. Testing on the day went smoothly. Very professionally done!! Very happy!!!

Amanda Smith

New Zealand June 2018

No human interactions, no waiting for the speaking test. You will just get the marks according to your quality.

Shafayet Ullah

Australia May 2018

I consider PTE Academic as the most objective, efficient, convenient, and effective English test available for professionals. I will definitely recommend PTE Academic with my friends aiming to study overseas.

Ruth Camille Avena

Philippines May 2018

It is a well designed test which actually measures the English language ability of candidates. I thought that the test was brilliantly designed, was interactive and a true reflection of one's language ability.

Usman Ashraf

Saudi Arabia April 2018

PTE Academic gives you accurate and quick results. I already took 2 English exams before and I can't get my desired scores in writing. Thanks to PTE Academic!

Katrina Sarmiento

Philippines April 2018

The best thing about PTE Academic is that it is computer-based with quick results which not only reduces anxiety of results but also save a lot of time.

Rohit Makhija

Australia April 2018

Fabulous way of sitting an academic English test. Friendly staff and relaxed environment. Felt no pressure whatsoever while sitting the exam. I had privacy and I felt like I was just at home studying.

Emina Music

Australia April 2018

The advantages of PTE Academic are many. 1. The test takes place at one go. No need to come back for different sections as other tests. 2. The results are available in 5 days. 3. The format of the test easy to pick with 2-3 mock tests. 4. The study material for the test easily available online. 5. The website itself is very interactive and all the information is available.

Suhaib Ahmed Kawish

India April 2018

The test is well designed, and with no human intervention, it's a fair assessment of the language skills. The exam covers a variety of questions that test language skills accurately.

Nauzer Ahmed Peer

India April 2018

Latest Posts

Become a finance professional in New Zealand.PTE Academic is the English test approved by the New Zealand government for all migration visa applications.https://pearsonpte.com/newzealand/